High Tech Storm Kit

High Tech Storm Kit

Tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes. No one wants to think about disaster striking close to home, but experts say you need to be prepared. That includes having a kit packed with must-have supplies to help you weather any storm.

Lori Cheek always hoped she'd never have to use her disaster kit. Then, a storm hit.

Thankfully, Lori had food, water, and asolar-powered radio.

"If I can't get in touch with anyone, I can at least know what's going on around me, find a safe place to go, " says Cheek.

Experts say that every household should have an emergency preparedness kit.

Now, disaster-themed apps and gadgets are competing for space among traditional supplies.

The American Red Cross says a kit wth added high-tech help can provide everything from bright light to a lifeline, and can feed you important news and info.

The Red cross recently launched a series of free disaster apps.

Anne Marie Borrego with the American Red Cross says they have a tornado app, hurricane app, wildfire app, and earthquake app.

, all designed to help people manage their way through those disasters and also prepare for them.

Plug-free battery chargers, like this one, can now keep your smartphone or tablet powered for days.

You can also buy a backup cell phone that's charged by a double-a battery.

CNETt's Dan Ackerman says, even the old-school crank radio has received an upgrade.

"You can use regular batteries with it. It has a rechargeable battery that you can charge via a hand crank or a solar panel, so there are three ways to keep it powered up."

Pop-up, LED lanterns last 100 hours and can fit in a small bag. Or, turn your water bottle into a lantern with this unique cap.

It's got a solar panel on the top and a lamp on the bottom, so it soaks up solar power and stores it. If the lights go out, itâ€™ll turn on, and you can use it like a flashlight.

If you invest in emergency gadgets, check that they're fully charged every few weeks, and store them with your other supplies.